PODCAST EPISODES

Today's episode is a bit different, and I think you'll love it. We’re diving into epigenetics—how your lifestyle influences your genetic expression. This topic is key to understanding root causes and optimizing lifestyle interventions, particularly for thyroid patients. Today, I'll introduce you to my new friend, Susan Robbins. Susan is an expert in epigenetic human performance coaching and host of the podcast “Everyday Epigenetics: Raw, Real, Relatable.” She’s a Level 2 Certified Apeiron Zoh DNA coach and a Precision Health Alliance (ph360/Shae) coach. Since 2015, Susan has been helping people optimize their health and was even named 2023 PHA Coach of the Year. She previously worked with TruDiagnostics to interpret epigenetic age test results for clients globally. In this episode, I share my recent health journey, focusing on my latest experience with perimenopause and low T3 levels (active thyroid hormone). We discuss epigenetics and how lifestyle choices impact genetic expression, …

Denielle shares her experience with treating a thyroid nodule using microwave ablation (MWA). After experiencing severe hair and weight loss, she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and a thyroid nodule about eight years ago. Weighing 70 kg, she dropped to 45 kg due to the condition. Denielle chose a non-surgical option primarily for aesthetic reasons, as she had previously developed keloids from surgery, and also due to a friend's experience with lifelong medication after a thyroidectomy. She learned about non-surgical treatments through the Save Your Thyroid FB community and decided on microwave ablation, which was the only applicable procedure for her case. The procedure took about 20 minutes, with minimal pain, and she experienced only slight discomfort afterward, quickly resuming her normal activities. Six months post-procedure, the nodule had reduced by 81%, from 6 cm to about 1.6 cm, and she is now euthyroid, no longer needing thyroid medication. Denielle expresses gratitude for…

Today’s guest is Dr. Dipan Desai, an otolaryngologist at ENT Associates in Clearwater, Florida. He completed residency training at Parkland Memorial Hospital and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and later pursued fellowship training in Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, gaining expertise in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and scarless thyroid/parathyroid surgery.Today, in addition to treating the full spectrum of ENT disorders, is now one of the first physicians in Florida to offer these innovative procedures. His patient care philosophy is deeply rooted in compassion, respect, and open communication. He believes that personalized and collaborative medicine is the key to creating lasting improvements in his patients’ health and well-being. With this understanding, he aims to work together with patients to find the treatment that is best suited to their individual needs.

Kathy shares her experience with thyroid cryoablation, a non-surgical procedure that can be used to treat benign and cancerous thyroid nodules, as well as other tumors throughout the body. Kathy is a passionate advocate for preserving the thyroid gland, and is an active member of the Save Your Thyroid patient advocacy community. She is also working locally in the UK to spread the word about thyroid-preserving treatment options. She emphasizes the need for patients to do their own research and advocate for themselves.

Harrold had multiple thyroid nodules, and they were causing him issues with his voice. He sought out thyroid RFA from Dr. Luisa Leal and Dr. John Interlandi of New Horizon Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. This video documents Harrold's thyroid-saving treatment that allowed him to avoid surgery. What will be the final outcome? Watch the video to find out! Originally from Columbia, Dr. Leal opened the doors to her practice in 2016, offering the local Spanish-speaking population access to a bilingual specialist in state-of-the-art diabetes care. Dr. John Interlandi, a formerly retired endocrinologist with an extensive medical background in the Nashville area, came out of retirement to join Dr. Leal in her pursuit of providing thyroid RFA in 2021.

Today’s guest is Dr. Elizabeth Cottrill is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. There, she also serves as the residency Program Director and the Surgical Director of the Jefferson Thyroid and Parathyroid Center. Her research focuses on cancer diagnostics, clinical outcomes, and patient education. Her clinical practice focuses on the treatment and management of patients with thyroid and parathyroid diseases, and she has a special interest in advanced and aggressive forms of thyroid cancer as well as non-surgical ablative techniques for benign thyroid nodules.

Today's guest is Dr. Rebecca Warren. At 19, Dr. Rebecca was diagnosed with follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma and had a complete thyroidectomy with high dose radiation. After having her thyroid removed, she thought the problem was fixed, until a few years down the road when she began to suffer from hormone issues that doctors would write off because her labs all looked normal. She suffered with depression, anxiety, weight loss resistance, and period issues with no help on how to get better. It wasn't until she decided to draw a line in the sand that no doctor was going to know more about her body than her, did her health transform. She has spent the last two decades studying the literature, implementing protocols, using the most up-to-date functional labs and testing, and ancestral tools like fasting and diet variation to not only take back her health, but to help thousands of men and women avoid losing their thyroid and for those that had their thyroid removed, actually h…

Today’s guest is Dr. Antoine Eskander, a head and neck oncologist and reconstructive surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Head and Neck Disease Site Lead at the Odette Cancer Centre, and Chief of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Eskander is an internationally recognized researcher in several areas, including head and neck cancers, health services research, clinical epidemiology, and quality improvement. His research interest include topics such as access to care, disparities in care, adherence to guidelines, volume-outcome associations, and quality metrics. In today’s discussion, we explore the balance between patient empowerment and the anxiety caused by incidental nodule discoveries, the importance of individualized care and shared decision-making, the significance of better outcomes at high volume treatment centers, and the value in choosing the right physician. We also discuss thyroid RFA and the benefits of de-escala…

Today’s guest is Dr. Jonathon Russell. After training at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr Russell trained further at Johns Hopkins before spending almost 10 years there. He became the Chief of Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery at Johns Hopkins and was the director of the Thyroid Tumor Center. During that time, he was the first surgeon to complete transoral robotic surgery for thyroid cancer, led the largest series of transoral surgery in the West, and was the first group of Head and Neck Surgeons to offer RadioFrequency Ablation (RFA). He is the current president of the North American Society of Interventional Thyroidology (NASIT). In 2024, Dr Russell founded the Russell Center for Endocrine Health, where he continues to innovate as he offers each patient a personalized plan of care. Today’s conversation centers around the topic of thyroid RFA and insurance coverage. Specifically, a CPT billing code that has been created by the CMS. For the past 5 years, many patients have been eagerly awaiting…

Have you seen our new patient education website? SaveYourThyroid.org has been overhauled and now includes even more resources on nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid cysts, nodules and cancers!

Today’s guest is Professor Saim Yilmaz, an interventional radiologist practicing in Istanbul and Antalya, Turkey. Throughout his 40 year medical career, Professor Yılmaz has worked exclusively in this unique specialty, treating patients with multiple image-guided, minimally invasive treatments. He is a pioneer of nonsurgical thyroid treatments. In 2018, Prof. Yilmaz founded Varisson Interventional Radiology Clinics where he leads a team of 5 doctors and 19 staff. He speaks English, French and German. In today’s conversation, we will focus primarily on 2 nonsurgical thyroid procedures for the treatment of thyroid nodules and cancers: Cryoablation and Embolization.

Today’s guess is Dr. Jesse Pasternak, an academic surgeon and patient advocate. He is the chief of Endocrine Surgery in the Division of General Surgery at the University Health Network and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto.  His career’s focus is to use up-to-date data to push innovation in the treatment of surgical endocrinology.  He is responsible for bringing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of thyroid nodules to Canada.  He is chair of the research committee at the American Thyroid Association and currently runs a trial to treat small thyroid cancers with RFA.  He hopes to gain an understanding for cancer outcomes but likely more importantly, the effect of treatment and cancer worry on quality of life and survivorship.  He has 3 young kids, all of whom learned where the thyroid was before mastering the head, shoulders, knees and toes.

Dr. David Goldenberg, a head and neck surgeon at Penn State Health, emphasizes that RFA is just one tool in the toolbox and that the decision to use it depends on the patient's specific needs and circumstances. He discusses the process of determining candidacy for thyroid RFA and the importance of thorough evaluation and patient education. He also emphasizes the importance of choosing an experienced and skilled physician for RFA procedures. Lastly, Dr. Goldenberg shares his perspective on the term 'provider' and why he believes it is demeaning to physicians.

Today’s guest returns to the podcast for a third time, Dr. Emad Kandil, an endocrine surgeon with a passion for helping patients shrink thyroid nodules and cancers using various nonsurgical, thyroid-sparing techniques. Dr. Kandil is the Chief of General, Endocrine and Oncological Surgery at Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans, Louisianna. In today's discussion, we'll cover topics such as his adoption of microwave ablation, thyroid embolization, the benefits of combination therapy, a...

Dr. Ralph Tufano and Dr. Juan Camacho collaborate to bring multiple thyroid nodule treatment options to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System.These include: Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)Echolaser Ablation (LA/PLA)Microwave Ablation (MWA)CryoablationThyroid Arterial Embolization (TAE)Traditional thyroid surgeryScarless thyroid surgery (and just added) Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation (nsPFA)This episode is a great resource to give general guidance on when each of the nonsurgical ...

Dr. Aaron Rockoff shares his journey to becoming an endocrinologist and his passion for building relationships with patients. He discusses his training in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for thyroid nodules and the importance of ultrasound in the procedure. Dr. Rockoff explains the steps of the RFA process, including patient preparation, anesthesia, and the actual ablation. He emphasizes the need for post-procedure care, such as icing and avoiding certain medications. Dr. Rockoff also welcomes bo...

Kathy shares her experience with thyroid arterial embolization (TAE), a non-surgical procedure that can be used to treat large thyroid nodules, toxic (hormone producing) thyroid nodules, and Graves disease. Kathy now shares her experience with thyroid embolization and the importance of preserving the thyroid gland with the Save Your Thyroid patient advocacy community, emphasizing the need for patients to do their own research and advocate for themselves. This episode is a great resource to giv...

This episode was recorded live as the first webinar for the the Save Your Thyroid patient community. Attendees submitted their questions in advance for our special guest, Dr. Jules Aljammal, an endocrinologist specializing in thyroid disorders. We discuss the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of thyroid nodules. Dr. Aljammal shareshis experience and expertise in performing RFA and explains the procedure and its applications. We also discuss the evaluation and treatme...